Having battled breast cancer since 1992, the beloved Australian actor and musician Dame Olivia Newton-John sadly passed away in August. The news of her death at the age of 73 was met with an immediate outpouring of grief from the public, who regarded the Grease star as an icon of her time.
Newton-John's daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, with whom she shared a close relationship, posted an emotional tribute the following day: "You are my lighthouse mama. My safe place. My heart space. It has been my honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and best friend," she wrote on Instagram, sweetly calling her mother "my life giver, my teacher, my mama." Now, Lattanzi is opening up again to share a touching update since her mother's death. Read on to hear the message she penned for her mom, and to learn how she's carrying on her legacy.
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Newton-John was a vocal advocate for plant medicine as cancer treatment.
DFree / ShutterstockBefore her death, Newton-John made her mark not only on the world of entertainment, but also on the world of cancer research by founding the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund. Through the charity, the star made it her mission to advance awareness of plant medicine as a form of cancer treatment. In particular, she advocated for the use of medical marijuana and supplements as symptom-easing additions to more traditional cancer treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.
In a 2020 interview with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live, Newton-John shared that cannabis was a crucial part of her own symptom management. "It's really helped me with the pain, with sleep, with anxiety, I believe with inflammation," she said. "I'm very lucky to be married to a wonderful man who is a plant medicine man," she added while speaking with People in early 2021. "Now he's growing medicinal cannabis for me, and it just has been wonderful. It helps me in every area."
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Lattanzi has shared this touching update since her mother’s death.
Sam Tabone/WireImage via Getty ImagesLattanzi, 36, took to social media this week to share a touching update following Newton-John's death. She says that she plans to honor her mother by carrying on the late star's cancer research advocacy.
Appearing in a video beside her cousin Tottie Goldsmith, Lattanzi implored her followers to sign up for the Oct. 9 Walk for Wellness, a fundraising event for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. "We really want to raise awareness and get as many of you walking with us or virtually. It is so important to raise awareness and raise funds," Lattanzi, who owns a legal marijuana farm, said in the video. "My mom's dream was for kinder treatments for cancer. So I feel the torch has been passed and this is my mission and my passion and I'm so grateful to be doing this with my beautiful cousin for my mother."
Along with her announcement, Lattanzi penned a touching note addressed directly to her mother. "I love you mama. I miss you every day. And I feel you wrapped around me every moment guiding my every move," she wrote.
She had opened up about her grief before.
Bryan Steffy/WireImage via Getty ImagesPrior to this, Lattanzi had opened up about her grief by posting old family photos and meaningful quotes to Instagram. On Aug. 20, she shared a quote which read: "Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go."
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Most recently, she shared this heartbreaking message for her mother's birthday.
David Livingston/Getty ImagesSept. 26 marked what would have been Newton-John's 74th birthday, and her family threw a dinner party to celebrate. Besides clips of the party itself, Lattanzi shared a throwback video of the Physical singer on the 1994 show Olivia Newton-John's Animal Friends. In it, a young Newton-John cradles a litter of white tiger cubs while feeding them milk.
"Happy birthday mama bear. This is who you are. A nature girl with the biggest heart. The most down to earth beautiful being I have ever known," Lattanzi captioned the clip. "I hold you in my heart forever. I will continue your mission. I love you mummy. Bigger than the whole universe."
